Elastic closure for ladies&#39; boots



' I 1 617,706 1927' E. J. FLEWETT 1 ELASTIC CLOSURE FOR LADIES BOOTS Filed March 12, 1 926 aim Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN JOHN FLEWITT, OF RAWTENSTALL, ENGLAND, AS SIGNOR TO HOYLE HOYLE & CO. LIMITED, OLE RAWTENSTALL, ENGLAND.

ELASTIC CLOSURE FOR LADIES BOOTS.

Application filed March 12, 1926, Serial No. 94,282, and in Great Britain December 29, 1925.

The invention relates to Russian boots for ladies wear, and, has for object to provide the same in such manner as to enable them to be shaped in a desirable manner, or conform to the curvature of the limb of the user, without being rendered thereby difficult to pull on or off.

As is well known, this last-named difiiculty largely accounts for the boots at'the upper portions thereof being made in more or less straight form, or without desirable shape.

According to my invention, I make the boot or shape the same at the upper portion in suitably curved manner, but so that said upper portion, either wholly or in part, is capable of being stretched to greater width for pulling-on and pulling-off purposes.

This I accomplish by providing what may be termed knife-edge slits, up each side by preference, through the material of the upper part of the boot, in suitable form and extent, and within the upper part named, behind the slits aforesaid, I stitch or attach an area or areas of india-rubber or elastic n'iaterial. The stitches for the same, when employed, I prefer to provide parallel to the slits and between the same, as well as beyond the same at each side of the area covered by said slits. The elastic material is preferably of the same or similar colour to the colour or shade of the boot or upper portion thereof.

WVith reference to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of Fig. 2, the latter being an elevation of a Russian boot provided according to my invention. In said latter figure, the stitches for the elastic material behind are not indicated, and in Fig. l the material forming the upper part of the boot is exaggerated in thickness for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2) is an enlarged view of a piece of the upper portion of the boot, before stretching has been accomplished, and Fig. 4 is a similar view during stretching referred to. The stitches are not shown in said Fig. 4t. Fig. 5 is a modification of Fig. 1.

a is the upper portion of the boot illustrated, and according to my invention, knifecdge slits Z) are provided in or through the same, the area covered thereby being accord ing to desire or necessity. 0 represents an area or sheet of india rubber or elastic material attached behind the slit portion named, which elastic material is assumed to he stitched through the upper portion as indicated at d on eachside of each slit Z).

But it is obvious-that the elastic material could be, for instance, cemented along the lines occupied by the stitches shown. Said stitches are indicated as being very open in form merely to prevent confusion.

The effect attained is that, not only can the upper portion of the boot be stretched sufficiently for being pulled on or off the limb of the user, but also that, in wear the slits are so far invisible as, in conjunction with the stitches and indentations produced thereby, to result in a merely ornamental effect.

It is obvious that the arrangement of lines of stitches, and lines of slits are not confined to those shown, the area of the latter being capable of variation. For example, in Fig.

5, the area covered by parallel slits is different to that covered by the curved ones indicated, laterally speaking.

I claim Russian boots for ladies wear with shaped upper portions for conforming nearly to the curvature of the limbs of the users, slits in the material of said upper portions, elastic material or backing behind the area covered by said slits, said backing attached to the upper portions within the boots by stitches of thread down each side of eachslit aforesaid, whereby the latter are practically. rendered invisible during normal wear, and an ornamental effect with the stitches and resulting indentations produced, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

EDWIN .ionn FLEWITT. 

